Cheltenham High School was established in 1884 and is one of the oldest public high schools in Pennsylvania. The first location was on Ashbourne Road, and at the time of its closing in 1953, it was considered the oldest public school site in continuous use.[3] The next building was at High School Road and Montgomery Avenue in Elkins Park. The current Cheltenham High School located at 500 Rices Mill Road in Wyncote was built in 1959. It sits on a land area of approximately 47 acres, and is bound by Route 309, Route 152, Panther Road, Rices Mill Road, Carlton Avenue, and Old Mill Road.

Cheltenham's diverse student population is reflective of the population of Cheltenham Township. Student ethnicity is distributed as follows: 49% Black, 40% White, 7% Asian, 3% Hispanic, and 1% Native American. The school has 1439 students in grades 9 through 12, with a student-teacher ratio of 13.5:1.[4]

Cheltenham's athletic teams are known as the Cheltenham Panthers and are members of the PIAA District 1 in the American Conference of the Suburban One League. They have a long-standing Thanksgiving Day football game with their bitter cross-town rival, Abington Senior High School. The rivalry will celebrate its 100th year in 2015.

In 2012, Cheltenhem Township School District graduation rate was 89.92%.[5] In 2011, the graduation rate was 93.97%.[6] In 2010, the Pennsylvania Department of Education issued a new, 4-year cohort graduation rate. Cheltenham High School's rate was 82.37% for 2010.[7]

Science in Motion High School did not take advantage of a state program called Science in Motion which brought college professors and sophisticated science equipment to the school to raise science awareness and to provide inquiry-based experiences for the students. The Science in Motion program was funded by a state appropriation and cost the school nothing to participate.[29]Ursinus College provided the science enrichment experiences to schools in the region.

According to a Pennsylvania Department of Education study released in January 2009, 47% of the Cheltenham High School graduates required remediation in mathematics and or reading before they were prepared to take college level courses in the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education or community colleges.[30] Less than 66% of Pennsylvania high school graduates, who enroll in a four-year college in Pennsylvania, will earn a bachelor's degree within six years. Among Pennsylvania high school graduates pursuing an associate degree, only one in three graduate in three years.[31] Per the Pennsylvania Department of Education, one in three recent high school graduates who attend Pennsylvania's public universities and community colleges takes at least one remedial course in math, reading or English.

Four years of English, four of Physical Education, three of Social Studies, three of Mathematics, three of Science, one of Economics, one of Health, Completed Graduation Project.

By law, all Pennsylvania secondary school students were required to complete a project as a part of their eligibility to graduate from high school. The type of project, its rigor and its expectations are set by the individual school district.[32] Effective with the graduating class of 2017, the Pennsylvania State Board of Education eliminated the state mandate that students complete a culminating project in order to graduate.[33]

By Pennsylvania School Board regulations, beginning with the class of 2017, public school students must demonstrate successful completion of secondary level course work in Algebra I, Biology, and English Literature by passing the Keystone Exams.[34] The exam is given at the end of the course. Keystone Exams replace the PSSAs for 11th grade.[35]

Students have several opportunities to pass the exam. Those who do not pass after several attempts can perform a project in order to graduate.[36][37] For the class of 2019, a Composition exam will be added. For the class of 2020, passing a civics and government exam will be added to the graduation requirements.[38] In 2011, Pennsylvania high school students field tested the Algebra 1, Biology and English Lit exams. The statewide results were: Algebra 1 38% on grade level, Biology 35% on grade level and English Lit - 49% on grade level.[39] Individual student, school or district reports were not made public, although they were reported to district officials by the Pennsylvania Department of Education. Students identified as having special needs and qualifying for an Individual Educational Program (IEP) may graduate by meeting the requirements of their IEP.

Cheltenham High School offers a dual enrollment program. This state program permits high school students to take courses, at local higher education institutions, to earn college credits. Students remain enrolled at their high school. The courses count towards high school graduation requirements and towards earning a college degree. The students continue to have full access to activities and programs at their high school. The college credits are offered at a deeply discounted rate. The state offered a small grant to assist students in costs for tuition, fees and books.[40] Under the Pennsylvania Transfer and Articulation Agreement, many Pennsylvania colleges and universities accept these credits for students who transfer to their institutions.[41] Under state rules, other students that reside in the district, who attend a private school, a charter school or are homeschooled are eligible to participate in this program.[42] In 2010, Governor Edward Rendell eliminated the grants to students, from the Commonwealth, due to a state budget crisis.

For the 2009-10 funding year, the Cheltenham Township School District received a state grant of $11,657 for the program.[43]

The school year always begins the Tuesday following Labor Day. By Pennsylvania Department of Education standards, there must be a minimum of 180 school days. The school year usually concludes around Flag Day, June 14, depending on the number of snow days used that year. Every third Wednesday in the month, students are dismissed one hour early for faculty or department meetings. No school is held on the following holidays: Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, President's Day and Memorial Day. School is held during Patriot Day and Pearl Harbor Day, but a moment of silence is observed during morning announcements. Students and staff have two major breaks during the year, one at the end of December, usually beginning on December 23. The other major break occurs in the spring, and this break always concludes on Easter Sunday. Other shorter, but notable breaks for students and staff: Thanksgiving Day Weekend (Wednesday-Sunday), President's Day Weekend (Friday-Monday), Memorial Day Weekend (Saturday-Monday).

In 2012, 294 Cheltenham High School students took the SAT exams. The District's Verbal Average Score was 514. The Math average score was 515. The Writing average score was 515. The statewide Verbal SAT exams results were: Verbal 491, Math 501, Writing 480. In the USA, 1.65 million students took the exams achieving scores: Verbal 496, Math 514, Writing 488. According to the College Board the maximum score on each section was 800, and 360 students nationwide scored a perfect 2,400.

In 2011, 301 Cheltenham High School students took the SAT exams. The District's Verbal Average Score was 513. The Math average score was 520. The Writing average score was 505.[44] Pennsylvania ranked 40th among states with SAT scores: Verbal - 493, Math - 501, Writing - 479.[45] In the United States, 1.65 million students took the exam in 2011. They averaged 497 (out of 800) verbal, 514 math and 489 in writing.[46]

Students must achieve a minimum of a 3 out of 5 on the final exam to be eligible for college credits. The amount of credits awarded for a specific course is at the discretion of the university the student attends. Many universities require at least a score of 4 to be considered for credits.

English is taught through all four years of high school. Students learn new vocabulary, study poetry and Shakespeare plays, discuss grade appropriate reading material, and are taught the correct way to write analytical essays, in preparation for college.

Math varies for each student depending upon which level they have tested. Typically students take Algebra I in 9th grade, Geometry in 10th grade, Algebra II in 11th grade, and Pre-Calculus in 12th grade. Some students start 9th grade at Geometry, and then finish with Calculus. Advanced students start 9th grade with Algebra II, and take Calculus II as a senior.

CHS offers four languages: Spanish, French, Latin, and German. Languages are initially introduced at Cedarbrook Middle School in 7th grade. Each language has 5 levels of curriculum, and while not mandatory, some students opt to advance to the highest level, focusing on one language.

Freshmen are assigned gym classes all four marking periods, but 10th, 11th, and 12th graders can select which gym activity they want to participate in. During the 4th marking period, students have a series of Physical Fitness Tests, to see if they qualify for the National Physical Fitness Award or the Presidential Physical Fitness Award.

The Classroom for the Future state program provided districts with hundreds of thousands of extra state funding to buy laptop computers for each core curriculum high school class (English, Science, History, Math) and paid for teacher training to optimize the computers use. The program was funded from 2006 to 2009. The Cheltenham Township School District did not apply to participate in 2006-07. In 2007-08, the high school received $100,000. The High School received $187,351 in 2008-09, yielding a total funding of $287,351.[47] Among the public school districts in County the highest award was given to area School District which received . The highest funding statewide was awarded to Philadelphia City School District in Philadelphia County - $9,409,073. The grant program was discontinued by Governor Edward Rendell as part of the 2009-10 state budget.

Cheltenham Township School District offers a wide variety of clubs, activities and an extensive, costly sports program. Eligibility for participation is determined by school board policy.

By Pennsylvania law, all K-12 students residing in the district, including those who attend a private nonpublic school, cyber charter school, charter school and those homeschooled, are eligible to participate in the extracurricular programs including all athletics. They must meet the same eligibility rules as the students enrolled in the district's schools.[48]

CHS is a member of the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA), and in the Suburban One American Conference (SOL). It was one of the founding members of the SOL in 1922, and is one of 4 of the remaining original schools.[49] Cheltenham Athletics promote sportsmanship above self, and therefore, consistently receive the SOL Sportsmanship Award.[50] Cheltenham offers a variety of sports for its students. Asterisk designates available to both boys and girls.

The Cheltenham Girls basketball team by far has had more success than any other team in the school. The team won the PIAA AAAA state championship in 2000, and again in 2007. They have also won numerous PIAA District 1 titles, and also have won the Suburban One American Conference 23 times. Coach Bob Schaefer won his 700th game on February 5, 2010, and has proudly coached the Panthers for 30 years.[51] He has coached numerous 1000 point scorers, and also the WBCA All-American Forward, Laura Harper, who currently plays in the WNBA. Harper scored 2007 points during her Cheltenham Career. In 2007 (their 2nd championship year), the Panthers were honored by the Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame with the "Pride of Philadelphia Award," along with Jimmy Rollins of the Philadelphia Phillies.[52] The award is given to individuals or teams who have "represented the Philadelphia area with dignity, determination, and class through athletic achievement.[53] " On Tuesday March 27, 2012, the end of an era was announced when coach Bob Schafer resigned from his 31-year post as the Lady Panthers head coach. He finished with a 757-163 record, 2 PIAA AAAA state titles, 2 state runner-up, 4 District I Championships, and the Suburban One League champions 24 out of the last 26 years.[54] Schaefer, a West Hazleton native, was inducted into the Hazleton Area Sports Hall of Fame in September, 2012.[55]

The Cheltenham–Abington rivalry, also known as "The Turkey Bowl", is a football game played between the Cheltenham Panthers and the Abington Galloping Ghosts. It has been played annually on Thanksgiving Day since 1915, unless one of the teams has conflicts with PIAA playoffs. The rivalry is the fifth-oldest public high school rivalry in Pennsylvania, and the seventh-oldest including private schools. The schools are less than 2 miles apart. Despite not being in the same conference, the rivalry is prevalent in other sports, mainly basketball. In some sports, the teams do not play each other at all. Abington leads the overall series 55–33-6. Below is a chart of the all-time games of the rivalry.[56]

Cheltenham High School publishes a school newspaper "The Cheltonian," the school yearbook "El Delator," and various interviews, polls, and student work aired on Comcast channel 42, which is the township channel.

→===Blue and Gold=== Blue and Gold is a schoolwide event that was initiated in the 2006–2007 school year. The school is divided in two teams, last names A-K being the blue team, and last names L-Z being the gold team. Each year a theme is chosen to name the two teams, such as in 2009–2010, the theme was video games, the teams being the Blue Sonics and the Gold Warios. Any student can sign up for any event. Events vary from the Iron Chef, Ping Pong, Blind Volleyball, Simon Says, Obstacle Course, and as with many years, the deciding event, the great Tug of War. Below are the past Blue and Gold Competition Champions.

Beginning in 2008, Cheltenham High School has held a mini version of Penn State's Dance Marathon. Students must raise a minimum of $100 in order to participate.

Year

Amount Raised

2008

$20,048.12

2009

$21,036.70

2010

$20,120.67

2011

$20,201.86

2012

$29,481.56

2013

$30,319.53

2014

$20,263.47

2015

$20,301.12

Student participants have raised over $180,000 during the eight years of CHS THON. Also, students must stand for ten hours straight, and every hour, participate in a "line dance," which the staff members of the dance marathon teach throughout the day. While not performing the line dance, students have many activities to choose from: Basketball, Volleyball, Soccer, Guitar Hero, Rock Band, and much more. All proceeds benefit the Four Diamonds Fund, which helps children with cancer.

The Steve Daley invitational Badminton Tournament is a Badminton Invitational Tournament offered to students at Cheltenham High School. The Tournament was established in 1978 by long-time legendary physical education teacher, Mr. Steve Daley. At his proposal for a badminton tournament, many of the students were reluctant to play the sport. But as the years went on, it gained more and more popularity, and now, is one of the most popular events in the school. The tournament is an invitational, and to earn an invite, one must participate in challenge matches held before school. There are 32 invitations given out, and the tournament is bracket-style, with single elimination, with the #1 seed playing the #32 seed, the #2 seed playing the #31 seed, and so on. Below are the recent Steve Daley Invitational Badminton Tournament Champions.

At every graduation ceremony from 2008 to 2011, an Outstanding Educator of the Year Award was presented to a Cheltenham High School teacher.[58] The award was based on a student vote. The following is a list of all the winners.

With the help of the Cheltenham Alumni Association, the Cheltenham High School Hall of Fame was established to "acknowledge the achievements of our alma mater's most remarkable graduates.[59] " The first class was in 1981, and have had inductions in 1984, 1987, 1993, 1996, 1999, and 2002. Hall of Fame inductees have a HoF next to their name.

The Cheltenham community suffered when class of 1981 graduate David Dornstein perished on the Pan Am Flight 103. He was on his way back from Israel to finish a project for a New York-based organization.[61] His younger brother, Ken, wrote a book titled "The Boy Who Fell Out of the Sky" about his older brother.[62]